Illuminated, Translucent Toy Gel Bead Gun

ABSTRACT

A toy gel ball firearm comprises internal LED&#39;s that selectively flash concurrently with firing. The toy may include a foldable shoulder stock, a trigger and trigger guard, an elongated integral barrel, and a receiver that mates with a magazine containing a plurality of hydrated gel balls to be fired. The LED&#39;s are disposed near the front of the toy, behind translucent panels. Circuits provided for actuating one or more LED&#39;s either sequentially or concurrently may be connected electrically to the OEM triggering mechanism associated with contemporary toy. The illumination system is “off” when the toy gun is on “safety”. With semi-automatic shooting, the LED&#39;s are blinked with each shot. LED illumination is constant in the full auto mode. The illumination system can be employed with or retrofitted to a variety of projectile-firing toys powered by internal batteries. Aesthetic lighting effects are maximized with a translucent housing for the toy.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This utility conversion patent application is based upon pending U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 63/257,369, filed 19 Oct. 2021, and entitled “Translucent Toy Gel Ball Gun with Illumination”, by inventors David A. Collins and James H. Buie, II, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and from which priority is claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to toy projectile launching devices, including air-guns and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to toy guns and to improvements in toy guns that launch soft gel-beads or gel-balls. Prior art of this nature can be found in several subclasses of USPC Class 124 and elsewhere.

II. Description of the Prior Art

Many toy guns that fire frangible projectiles are known in the art. For example, paintball markers popularly referred to as “paintball guns” have been used for marking in forestry and cattle ranching. In some cases, law enforcement employs markers to aid in crowd control and other situations where less-than-lethal force is desired. The markers launch a projectile typically using compressed gas, such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Compressed gas is supplied from a supply tank which is typically mounted within the paintball gun. In some cases, the markers may be equipped with pressure regulators.

Numerous projectile firing toys and paintball guns of different designs have became popular in the last several years for a variety of simulated battle games (e.g., capture the flag). which receive compressed gas at a relatively high pressure and deliver the gas at a reduced, more consistent pressure for propelling the projectile.

Of course, particularly in the case of toys, and especially with the case of projectile launching toy guns, safety is a paramount factor. One important safety factor relates to the type of projectile that the gun fires. Relatively hard pellets or BB's can produce injury as is well know in the art. Relatively softer projectiles such as conventional paintballs provide a great deal of entertainment but, in some case, especially those involving misuse, human injury can occur from impacting paintballs. Partly to reduce potential injury, relatively soft “gel balls” have recently become increasingly popular. Many of the old prior art designs for firearm-like toys that fire paintballs or other projectiles have been adapted for gel ball use. Such prior devices may be known by a plurality of popular names, such as “bead blasters,” “gel-ball” guns, “gel-bead” guns, and other terms. Most involves a hydrated bead of approximately 7.5 mm. diameter that is selectively fired from the gun.

However, many of the older designs lack modern aesthetics, and they can be relatively boring and conventional in appearance. With the advent of relatively inexpensive computer chips and circuits, a “modern” toy gel ball gun should include various “bells and whistles.” In particular, modern consumers of such toys expect a modern, high-tech look and appearance, along with modern features. For example, flashing lights that can respond to firing or other gun functions have been found desirable with consumers. Lighting possibilities can provide interesting optical effects, involving one or more LED's, that can be fired serially or concurrently. This can be combined with interesting audible sounds.

The prior art is diverse. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,456 issued Jun. 3, 1997 discloses a gun suitable for firing paintballs or pellets using compressed gas in response to a trigger activating an internal hammer.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,276 issued Oct. 11, 2011 shows a prior art projectile launcher that include a gas storage chamber containing compressed gas for firing projectiles.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,485,173 issued Jul. 16, 2013 discloses an air soft gun including a compressed, propellant gas container for firing pellets. Firing is accomplished with a pistol grip extending from a receiver and including a magazine assembly and trigger assembly.

U. S. publication No. 2008/0060630 published Mar. 13, 2008 discloses a compact paintball marker that holds and fires paintballs with compressed gas.

U. S. publication No. 2010/0126486 published May 27, 2010 discloses a compact paintball marker with a compact trigger assembly.

U. S. publication No. 2010/0224179 issued Sep. 9, 2010 discloses a pneumatic gun with an easily removable bolt at the rear of a receiver.

U. S. publication No. 2011/0114072 published May 19, 2011 shows a pneumatically powered projectile launching device using compressed gas controlled by a valve.

U. S. Publication No. 2013/0061840 published Mar. 14, 2013 shows various loading systems for pneumatic guns. The pneumatic gun has a receiver with the first and second loading port disposed to permit loading either by gravity or forced loading such as from a magazine. The barrel can be locked to the receiver to permit loading through only one of the two ports depending on the orientation in which it is locked to the receiver and permits selective loading through only a selected port at any time. Some toy guns of this general type enable the use of both vertically upwardly extending and downwardly extending magazines.

The prior art lacks an efficient plastic gel-ball gun with internal illumination for producing pleasing aesthetic effects in conjunction with firing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides an improved and illuminated toy “gel-ball” or “gel-bead” firearm, in the form of a simulated rifle, and an illumination system for such toys.

The advantages described herein for toy gel-ball guns offer numerous functional and aesthetic novelties and features. The illumination system can be employed with or retrofitted to a variety or modern gel ball guns of various types and sizes and shapes, including simulated rifles and pistols made by various manufacturers. Major structural portions of the plastic case are made of translucent plastic to enable LED-generated light to pass through for observation by the user. Various lights (preferably LED's) are disposed at selected locations within the toy gun to produce stimulating and exciting visual effects that are appealing to the shooter. The preferred LED's can be readily seen through the translucent, plastic gun case.

The various lights or LED's are selectively, electrically activated in response to the OEM trigger assembly associated with the toy gun to provide dramatic lighting effects. Especially when the lighting system is combined with modern computer control, numerous visible and entertaining light patterns, linked to the activation of various gun features, are provided. Computer generated light patterns can be combined with selected color effects to provide even more aesthetic effects. Selected driver circuits activated by the gun's trigger assembly, and powered by the gun's internal batteries, selectively drive the LED's to provide different lighting effects associated with different gun settings. For example, when the gun is disposed in the safety mode, no illumination occurs. When disposed in a shooting mode, the LED's display a preselected pattern. A different illumination scheme may be associated with both the “single-shot” or semi-auto mode, and the “full auto” mode provided by modern gel-ball toy guns.

Importantly, a first basic lighting display is activated by the trigger when shooting in a single shot or semi-automatic. Then, in response to continued trigger deflection, which establishes a “full automatic” mode, a different lighting pattern may be effectuated.

Thus a basic object is to provide an improved toy gel ball or gel bead gun which selectively provides desirable and pleasing optical or lighting effects.

Another primary object is to provide an illumination system adapted to be retrofitted to plastic gel ball toy guns to produce desirable optical displays and effects when firing.

Another fundamental object is to provide an illuminated gel ball gun which appeals to and entertains the user.

Yet another object is to provide illumination effects with or upon an “air soft” type toy gun.

Thus it is an object to provide a “gel ball” or “air soft” toy gun with illuminated function indicators.

A related object is to provide an illuminated, toy gel ball gun which uses compressed gas, springs, electrical apparatus, or other conventional and well known means for selectively firing.

Another important object is to provide visual lights in a toy gun of the character described.

A further object is to provide an “airsoft” or “gel ball” or “gel-bead” gun which will be easily and quickly be recognized as a toy by adults, or law enforcement personnel, for example, to maximize the user's safety.

Similarly, it is an important object to provide an illuminated, toy gel ball gun that provides different visible light signals in response to the selection or a activation of various gun options.

Another important object is to provide a toy gun for firing gel balls that provides easy-to-use color indications of the function selected.

Another basic object is to provide a toy gel ball gun to the character described that can provide LED-generated optical effects in response to firing or other gun functions.

Still another important object is to provide users of the toy gun with various display options corresponding to chosen gun functions.

It is also a basic object to provide a retrofittable arrangement for optical and lighting features that can be employed with numerous prior art air soft, paintball and/or pellet guns or the like that use a variety of propulsion and firing systems.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent in the course of the following descriptive sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a right side elevational view of one version of my new toy gel-ball gun, in the form of a simulated rifle, which contains the best mode of the illumination system described herein;

FIG. 2 is a left side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a right side longitudinal sectional view thereof;

FIG. 4 is left side longitudinal sectional view thereof;

FIG. 5 is a simplified schematic diagram showing one form of an LED controller using a 78L05 voltage regulator for operation;

FIG. 6 is a simplified schematic diagram showing an alternative form of an LED controller employing a CAT3063 integrated circuit for operation; and,

FIG. 7 is a detailed block diagram showing an operating circuit for controlling multiple LED's and multiple features, and which may use the LED controllers of FIGS. 5 and/or 6 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

For purposes of disclosure the following references are incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,634,456, 8,033,276, 8,485,173, and, U. S. Publication Nos. 2008/0060630, 2010/0126486, 2010/0224179, 2011/0114072, and 2013/0061840.

With initial reference directed now to FIGS. 1-4 of the appended drawings, a toy gel bead gun constructed in accordance with the best mode of the invention has been generally designated by the reference numerical 10. As used herein the term “gel-bead” shall include similar names for such toys, including “gel ball”, “hydrated ball”, “gel pellet,” or any other term referring to small, hydrated projectiles adapted for use with toy guns or pistols. The toy gun of the appended drawings as illustrated is in the form of a rifle, but it will be recognized that the invention disclosed herein may be employed with various simulated toy firearms, including those in the shape of pistols, hand guns and the like. The mechanical firing parts are virtually generic, and it should be understood that the electronic aspects of the invention can be combined with a wide variety of preexisting toy guns, of the types disclosed in the aforementioned references. It is required however that candidate toy guns are electrically fired with a trigger assembly circuit, so the LED controlling circuitry of the present invention can be connected to a source of switched electrical power during firing. The illumination scheme works with all projectile launching or firing propulsion means (i.e., spring activated, gas powered etc.), and it functions independently of the specific type of toy gun involved or the specific projectile that is fired thereby, as long as the trigger is electronically responsive.

Preferably the toy gun 10 comprises an elongated body 12 terminating in an extensible shoulder stock 14 that is foldably connected to the gun with a hinge 16 (FIGS. 1 and 3 ). The gun may be folded about hinge 16 for convenient packaging, and to lower the size of containers. Power is supplied by at least one rechargeable battery 17 (FIG. 2 ) interconnected with the toys' internals via electrical clips 17A and 17B (FIG. 2 ). The battery can be inserted within a battery compartment 18 (FIG. 1 ) by releasing and removing a cover 19 (FIG. 2 ) that can be pivoted as indicated by the arrow 20 in FIG. 2 after release by a slide latch 21 (Fig

A downwardly projecting pistol grip portion 22 borders a conventional, arcuate trigger guard 23 that surrounds a trigger 24, which is part of a trigger assembly that is connected to battery power. A detachable magazine 25 filled with hydrated gel balls includes electrical gearing to feed expanded gel balls upwardly into the action. A plurality of conventional gel balls, roughly 0.125 inches in diameter when dry, are conventionally disposed within the magazine 25. After exposure to water, the hydrated gel balls expand prior to being loaded into the magazine 25. Gel balls are fed vertically upwardly into the action by internal, electrically powered gears within the magazine 25. A wide variety of other projectile feeding mechanisms for gel balls and the like are well known in the art. Projectile feeding may be accomplished by other means, such as springs etc. Gel balls are discharged through barrel 26 and out of the simulated flash suppressor 26A (FIG. 3 ).

In the illustrated embodiment motors and gears within the magazine 24 convey gel balls upwardly for firing. The instant invention will, however, function with other feed systems, such as vertically uprising magazines that feed gel balls downwardly for firing. The magazine makes electrical contact with the internal circuitry with suitable electrical contacts at the magazine top.

Preferably, many of the toy gun's plastic body parts, such as side panels 30 (FIG. 1 ) and 30A (FIG. 2 ) are translucent. The LED's disposed within the gun are thus visible through the casing plastic, so as to maximize the aesthetic qualities of the illuminated gun.

The battery 17 is of the lithium ion type, nominally providing 7.4 volts. A motor and gear pack 33 disposed within the pistol grip 22 (FIG. 43 ) runs the gearing within the magazine 27 to power the firing and feed apparatus.

Referencing FIG. 5 , a simplified schematic diagram showing one form of an LED controller has been designated by the reference numeral 50. Controller 50 powers a 78L05 voltage regulator 55 via a connection to power at node 52 and an isolating diode 54. Resistor 57 connected to the output of voltage regulator 55 limits current and voltage to the indicating LEDs, which may be wired in parallel. The LEDs are collectively designated by the reference numeral 56. Capacitor Cl aids filtering.

An alternative LED controller 60 (FIG. 6 ) may employ a CPU that separately controls three LEDs 65-67. It is thought that a CAT3063 integrated circuit 62 is suitable such multi-LED operation. Power from the trigger assembly applies voltage to node 64 leading to pin 7 of integrated circuit 62 during firing. Preferably three separate LEDs 65, 66, and 67 can be sequentially fired upon activation of the trigger during firing. In one form of the invention, firing the gun 10 in the semi-automatic mode illuminates the gun LEDS each time the trigger is pulled. When the trigger is pulled in the full automatic mode, the LEDS can all stay “on,” or they can be fired sequentially or serially.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed operating circuit 120 for controlling multiple LED's and multiple features, and which may use the LED controllers of FIGS. 5 and/or 6 . A battery 130 powering the gun has been designated with the reference numeral 130 to differentiate it from the mechanical illustration discussed above. Switch 142 turns the toy 10 “off” or “on”. With the device “on”, power enters the trigger action assembly 144 which actuates plunger firing assembly 145 through line 146. The latter ultimately results in projectile firing. Assembly 144 outputs on line 147 to an LED driver 148 that controls LED's 150-153 that may be of various colors. Driver 148 may comprise previously discussed driver circuits 50 and or 60. The various colored LEDS designated 150 can be selected by the color select switching circuit 156 The LEDS are mechanically disposed within the gun itself, behind various translucent gun portions such as translucent sides 30, 30A (FIG. 2 ). The rate of blinking can be controlled by the flash control circuit 158 that selects a blinking or flash rate.

The mag feeder 160 is driven by line 161 from the trigger assembly 144. A “Select” switch represented schematically by box 164 enables the toy gun to be switched between “off”, semi-automatic, and full automatic functions, communicating on line 165 running to the mag feeder. The output of the mag feeder 160 appearing on line 168 reaches a buffer circuit 169 that leads to the second LED driver circuit 172 that may comprise one or more of the previously described drivers 50 and/or 60. Various colored LED's 175, 176, and 177 are actuated by driver circuit 172. Color selection may be established by color select circuit 180, and the blinking rate can be established or changed by flash control circuit 182. Buffer 169 can output on a line 185 to actuate an optional “on-off” indicator 187.

Thus with a plurality of internally located, separate LED's of varying colors, the selected functions of the toy gun 10 may be monitored, with pleasing aesthetic visual effects generated by the selection and blinking of various colored LEDs in various sequences or patterns.

Instructions for Use:

The preferred water beads or gel bead diameter is 7.5 mm. To prepare the dry water beads correctly, they could be poured into a small container for subsequent hydration. The correct amount of ammo beads to water is one teaspoon to 10 oz. of clean water. The beads are soaked for approximately four hours for proper hydration and expansion. If beads dry, they t will begin to shrink and can cause damage or jam up the gun 10.

The folding stock must be swiveled from the shipping position to the operational position. When swung approximately 90 degrees it locks in place linearly with the rest of the structure. The magazine is loaded by pouring in the water beads. Once the magazine 24 is filled, it may be inserted into the magazine well, and pushed upwardly until there is a click to ensure the magazine is correctly positioned. The shot selection levers 40, 40A on both the right and left sides is positioned to select “safety” or OFF, SEMI and AUTO. OFF is the safety and will lock the trigger, not allowing the to fire. SEMI setting allows for single shots with each pull of the trigger. AUTO allows for continuous firing (FIG. 9 ).

Basic safety guidelines require the user to:

a) Watch the muzzle and always keep it pointed in a safe direction at all times;

b) Always assume the toy gun is loaded;

c). Be sure of the target and what is in front of it and beyond it;

d) Keep your trigger finger outside of the trigger guard until ready to shoot;

e) Never aim at or fire at a child or other human being or pet animal, etc.;

f) Storing the unused toy in a safe and secure dry area away from children to prevent unsupervised or unauthorized use. It is recommended to keep the Lightning Blaster Pro-LED™ in a secure dry area.

After finished use, remaining water bead ammo should be removed from the magazine. Water bead ammo residue from inside the magazine and the magazine well should not be allowed to accumulate.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with other advantages which are inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toy firearm that fires hydrated gel balls in either a semi-automatic or full-automatic mode, the toy firearm shaving a safety mode, the toy comprising: a body comprising translucent portions, a shoulder stock, a trigger assembly, at least one internal battery, and an elongated barrel, the toy adapted to be fired in a semi-automatic mode or a full-automatic mode; a detachable magazine containing projectiles to be fired; a plurality of externally visible differently colored LED light sources disposed within said body; and, a circuit for activating the light sources with different color patterns in response to activation of said trigger assembly during firing, the circuit activating the LED light sources with each firing with a first color pattern when the toy is in the semi-automatic mode and continuously maintaining the LED light sources “on” with different colors when the toy is in the full automatic mode and the circuit turning off all LEDS when the toy is in the safety mode. 2-14. (canceled) 